Paul Domowitch

STAFF WRITER

Paul Domowitch is a pro football writer for the Inquirer and Daily News, where he has worked since 1982. He has covered nearly 30 Super Bowls and has been a selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the last 15 years.

Could we be seeing some version of a two-quarterback system with the Eagles moving forward?

Mike Vick had a second straight impressive performance, constantly spinning away from unblocked pass-rushers who seemed to have him dead in their sights and throwing for 284 yards and two touchdowns.

Kevin Kolb will start next week barring a medical setback, but expect to see a lot of Vick as well.

Coach Andy Reid said after the game that Vick will continue to get his oppotrunities and that more plays are in place for him this season than we saw last year. Part of that is because Vick is in better shape and knows the offense better than he did; part of it also is because Donovan McNabb is no longer here.

Reid showed no reluctance to swap Vick in for Kolb during the early stages of the opener against Green Bay. Before Kolb left the game, Vick was in at quarterback for six plays and wide receiver for one.

Vick said he will continue to focus on the package of plays that are in the game plan each week for him.

And not to stoke the fires of a quarterback controversy, but Vick and the Eagles were a topic on NBC last night.

Vick mentor Tony Dungy on Mike Vick: “These last two games, he’s been outstanding. He’s thrown the ball from the pocket well. He’s managed the game. He’s run when he needed to. I thought he played the quarterback position better these two games than he ever did in Atlanta.”

Some other things we are talking about this morning after the Eagles win:

* The struggling offensive line. The Eagles gave up 5 sacks for the second straight game. Yes, the Lions came with a lot of zero blitzes, and yes, Vick was slow to recognize them a few times. But the line’s ability to protect the quarterback could be a season-long issue.

* The real McCoy. Running back LeSean McCoy rushed for a career-high 120 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Eagles spread the Lions out and mostly ran McCoy out of 3- and 4-wide receiver sets. They’ll continue to do that, making defenses pick their poison – defending McCoy or dealing with the Eagles’ dangerous receiving corps.

* Special teams struggles. The Eagles’ kickoff coverage, so bad a week ago against the Packers, was much better Sunday. But rookie Kurt Coleman committed two costly special teams penalties and another rookie, Riley Cooper, fumbled away an onside kick that could have cost the Eagles the game at the end.

* Paging Stewart Bradley. Without Bradley in the middle, the Eagles gave up 109 rushing yards in the first half, and his replacement, Omar Gaither, struggled mightily to cover Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew in the fourth quarter. Pettigrew had 7 catches for 108 yards. With Jags tight end Mercedes Lewis up next, Bradley can’t come back a moment too soon.

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Injured fullback Leonard Weaver is on his way to Birmingham, Ala., to have his torn ACL repaired tomorrow by famed surgeon Dr. James Andrews. Weaver said he mother will be making the trip from Tennessee to be with him.

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Some interesting stats from the QB shootout in Washington involving West Chester product Matt Schaub and ex-Eagles QB Donovan McNabb:

* McNabb’s 426 passing yards are the fourth-most in team history and the most since Brad Johnson threw for a club-record 471 yards on Dec. 26, 1999, against San Francisco. McNabb’s 426 passing yards are the most in a losing effort in franchise history.

* McNabb’s 426 passing yards accounted for the third-highest single-game total in his career.

* McNabb passed Hall of Famer Steve Young (33,124) and Phil Simms (33,462) for 20th place on the NFL’s all-time passing list.

* Schaub threw for 497 yards, attempting 52 passes. He was sacked five times and hit another five.

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* The Eagles have allowed 59 points through two games, the most in the NFL.

* Second-round rookie free safety Nate Allen picked off a pass for the second game in a row, becoming the first Eagle with an interception in each of his first two games since Brenard Wilson in 1979.

* New fullback Owen Schmitt played sparingly but caught two passes for a career-high 21 yards.

* Had Jim Schwartz kicked a field goal on fourth-and-1 from the Eagles’ 29, 11:40 remaining, Calvin Johnson’s touchdown and two-point conversion with 1:50 left would have tied the score.

* Kurt Coleman took penalties on back-to-back special teams plays, a punt the Eagles received and then one they booted. Nine penalties for 75 yards overall for the Birds. They had 10 last week.

* Michael Vick explained that on that penalty he drew for spiking the ball, with 3:21 left, he actually was angry with himself for not being able to slide and avoid a hit as he tried to stay inbounds to keep the clock moving. Vick took a lick from safety Louis Delmas.

* Eagles rookie tight end Clay Harbor was deactivated in favor of Garrett Mills, who came up from the practice squad during the week. Mills caught a 14-yard pass.

* The Eagles, caught short of offensive linemen in their opener, activated Reggie Wells and Max Jean-Gilles this time, but neither Wells nor Jean-Gilles got on the field. Heralded offseason acquisition Darryl Tapp has yet to make his Eagles debut.

* How many weeks in a row can you hit an opponent who’s signaled for a fair catch? We might be finding out this year. So far it’s two.

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Jacksonville, which hosts the Eagles next Sunday, lost by 38-13 at San Diego. David Garrard threw four interceptions and added a late touchdown, going 15 of 23 passes. His passer rating was 62.7, after posting a career-high rating of 138.9 in the opener.

The Jags finished with six turnovers overall and the two teams set an NFL record with seven turnovers in the first half.

On the injury front, starting linebacker Justin Durant rolled his ankle during the first half and was in a walking boot after the game. Backup quarterback Luke McCown injured a knee and will have an MRI.